Legacy Sideboarding + My GPT

On Sunday the 10th of April, I learned a valuable lesson about side boarding in Legacy, no matter how prepared you may think you are, chances are you may not have an answer when you need it.

Today (Sunday) I played at a GPT Providence store event, I was playing a Green/Taxes build – my take on the Lewis Laskin deck that placed 4th at the Star City Open Kansas City event.

I prepared my deck for a heavy Combo field, what I neglected, and it truly is a misconception on my part, which unfortunately I can’t take back, was building for my mirror, and aggressive aggro decks.

We Played 5 rounds as there were 23 people at the event.

Round 1: G/T VS BURN
This was one of my worst match ups in theory, it is possible to get around it, however, I got nailed very early in game one with bolt bolt, price of progress, grim lavamancer, bolt and magma jet, and one other burn spell. On to game two. I went into my sideboard looking for a possible answer, I pulled out Thorns of Amethyst, and another card, this stalled his game tempo pretty quick, and gave me time to blow up. Unfortunatly, my round two victory would end in defeat in game 3, where I got crippled right quickly due to hitting my 3rd and 4th turn land drops.
0-1

Round 2: G/T VS 4 Colour Bant/Naya Beatdown
This game was honestly, the most fun, I had the chance to play against one of the players I respect the most in our local scene. He is the leader in points in Standard for our local store, but in Legacy he build rogue style decks like this one, during round one, I got off to a quick start and by turn 5 I had 3 Goyfs on the field, he conceded the match up, and we went to game two. game two was a little more brutal, swords, path etc etc etc. I was pretty much at the mercy of the clock waiting for his kill despite 2 maze of ith and needles locking his wastelands out. What I neglected here was to board in my extra removal and that cost me the 2 game. During game 3 it came down to the wire, both of us were sitting at pretty low life totals, but only a few creatures on the field, it came down to a goyf vs gofy match up, back up by mom and sword of fire and ice a lucky hit knocked out my opponent and the game went to me.
1-1

Round 3: G/T VS JUNK
yes please disrupt me and make my grave yard bigger, I don’t mind, vial out gofy, vial out gofy, vial out knight…swing…, game two, pretty much the same as game one, except I know had needles against me, for maze of ith, Mangara of Corondor, and knight. i had two pridemages on the table, and swung with a gofy, before the declare blockers step, I nuked a pridemage sending a creature and artifact that had Mangara of Corondor locked down to the grave yard, I tapped the Mangara of Corondor removing a land from play from him, which cost him the game, as his next card was vindicate which would have targeted my gofy.
2-1

Round 4: G/T VS Natural Order/Bant (drew levin’s build, seriously that is what the guy told me)
I was completely caught off guard by this, Turn one show and tell, the best card I can play was actually a Gaddock Teeg, to an Emrakul, The Aeons Torn. (SCOOP) game two, I lasted till turn 4 this time, with two moms, Mangara, and gofy on the table. my opponent natural ordered a Progenitus and beat me in the face.
2-2

Round 5: G/T VS FISH
Straight up, this guy who I played against was a complete douchebag, from his attitude, to how he treated my cards in my deck. If there is one thing I am it is respectful to other peoples cards, like me, they are players and collectors, and my cards and your cards, especially cards that are worth a lot of money should be treated with respect. anyways regardless of how this guy was, he did beat me game one and two. I had kept a very sketchy hand. but I thought I would have time to develop it. unfortunately that wasn’t the case and the merfolks exploded onto the battlefield.
2-3

Over all I did have a real good time at today’s event, I learned the importance of not substituting one card for another in the sideboard when I should have just went with my gut and played the board I originally planned for. it would have given me a better edge in the match ups. lesson learned!